International Trade Committee on Oct. 26th, 2006

Evidence of meeting #33 for International Trade in the 39th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was companies.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Bill C-24, An Act to impose a charge on the export of certain softwood lumber products to the United States and a charge on refunds of certain duty deposits paid to the United States, to authorize certain payments, to amend the Export and Import Permits Act and to amend other Acts as a consequence

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Paul Robertson Director General, North America Trade Policy, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Dennis Seebach Director, Administration and Technology Services, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

John Clifford Counsel, Trade Law Bureau, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Ron Hagmann Manager, Softwood Lumber, Canada Revenue Agency

Cindy Negus Manager, Legislative Policy Directorate, Canada Revenue Agency

10:55 a.m.

Conservative

Helena Guergis Conservative Simcoe—Grey, ON

Okay.

10:55 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

Is that agreed?

11 a.m.

Conservative

Helena Guergis Conservative Simcoe—Grey, ON

Yes.

11 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

All right. The next one is that the committee meet for one hour with the parliamentary delegation from the National Assembly of Pakistan.

Ms. Guergis, I know you had something on that.

11 a.m.

Conservative

Helena Guergis Conservative Simcoe—Grey, ON

I do, yes. I was thinking. I'm hoping this is out of committee, we don't have to deal with softwood lumber, and it's not still in front of us at that time. But in case it isn't done, perhaps we could check with the foreign affairs committee to see if they would be willing to host Pakistan in case we have a timeline that we have to meet. Foreign affairs would probably be a better fit for this anyway.

I open that up to others, if they agree with my suggestion.

11 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

I would point out that the reason the time isn't on here is that of course the delegation is still trying to plan their schedule.

11 a.m.

Conservative

Helena Guergis Conservative Simcoe—Grey, ON

I didn't ask about time.

11 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

Okay.

11 a.m.

Conservative

Helena Guergis Conservative Simcoe—Grey, ON

I suggested it should go to the foreign affairs committee, just in case.

11 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

They've asked foreign affairs as well. They want to look at the trade aspect and foreign affairs.

11 a.m.

Conservative

Helena Guergis Conservative Simcoe—Grey, ON

Okay. Then next, I was going to touch on the timing.

11 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

On that, we are actually inviting members of the foreign affairs committee to sit in. Of course, they can sit in on our committee anyway. They can sit in if they'd like to and have lunch afterwards.

We're going to have a one-hour meeting and a lunch afterwards. Members of the foreign affairs committee and defence committee will also be invited to the lunch.

11 a.m.

Conservative

Helena Guergis Conservative Simcoe—Grey, ON

We will have a meeting from nine to eleven o'clock to deal with whatever business we have here, in case softwood lumber is still at this committee, and then at eleven o'clock we would have Pakistan come in.

11 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

No, it would be one hour, from eleven to twelve.

11 a.m.

Conservative

Helena Guergis Conservative Simcoe—Grey, ON

The time from nine to eleven would still be open for softwood lumber, if required.

11 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

That's right. This committee agreed we will be distracted by nothing until the softwood lumber deal is through. We agreed to that, and I don't believe it's flexible. It will be outside.

11 a.m.

Conservative

Helena Guergis Conservative Simcoe—Grey, ON

It's not worded as outside in this report.

11 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

The clerk thought the steering committee agreed that provided Bill C-24 is finished, we would then do this.

We'll make the amendment and add that. It's what was intended.

Is that agreed?

11 a.m.

Liberal

Lui Temelkovski Liberal Oak Ridges—Markham, ON

The intent was that we would meet around the table at eleven o'clock until twelve. We would introduce ourselves, and they would have an opportunity to introduce themselves and exchange a few words. Then from twelve o'clock until one, we will have lunch.

11 a.m.

Bloc

Serge Cardin Bloc Sherbrooke, QC

We will have finished by then.

11 a.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Leon Benoit

That's agreed. All right.

Now the final one is the committee inviting trade officials from other countries. This has to do with the long-term study.

I've had discussion with some members of the committee, and the steering committee discussed this. We thought that in focusing our study, it would be helpful to look at countries that have been successful in dealing with trade and to have some officials from the embassy or their trade people come to explain what they did that worked. It would help focus us in our study. It's what the steering committee agreed to, in brief.

These countries may not be the countries that would be the ones we'll look at, but Australia certainly seems to be one.

Mr. Menzies.

11 a.m.

Conservative